Ask Congress to Protect DACA Students

We Support the DREAM Act Phone Campaign: February 1, 2018

On Thursday, February 1, Jesuit colleges and universities will be asking students to contact their hometown member of Congress and their two United States Senators, in support of the DREAM Act and DACA. Please click on the buttons below for instructions and talking points:

Among the 800,000 undocumented individuals protected by the DACA program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) are students at Jesuit institutions. Without protection, they will be forced to leave the United States after the program's expiration on March 5, 2018. The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) has been working closely with the American Council on Education (ACE), as a member of the Protect Dreamers Higher Education Coalition, to protect DACA students on our campuses. AJCU encourages all alumni, students, faculty, staff and administrators of the nation's 28 Jesuit colleges and universities to contact their members of Congress and ask for their support to protect DACA students.

Jesuit Institutions Advocate for Dreamers

AJCU and Jesuit institutions have long been at the forefront of advocacy for undocumented students. The following statements, videos and articles are among the many that have been released over the past few years. Please note: This list will continue to be updated. Send any footage to Deanna Howes Spiro, Director of Communications for AJCU (dhowes@ajcunet.edu).

AJCU Presidents' Statements on Undocumented Students

Click here for the November 2016 statement.Click here for the January 2013 statement.

AJCU Education Deans Statement on DACA

January 2018 letter signed by Deans of Education at Jesuit colleges and universities (ajcunet.edu)

American Council on Education Letter to House & Senate Leadership on DACA

October 2017 letter signed by AJCU and U.S. colleges and universities including Jesuit institutions (download as PDF)

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Letter to Congress on DACA

January 2018 letter signed by AJCU and higher education associations (download as PDF)

On October 25th, Rev. Michael J. Sheeran, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), urged each Jesuit alum now serving in the 115th United States Congress to pass a bipartisan Dream Act and save DACA students.

In January 2018, Regis University president, Rev. John Fitzgibbons, S.J., was one of eight leaders of Colorado colleges and universities to sign a letter of support for undocumented students (KPVI Denver)

Xavier University DACA student, Jose Cabrera, was recently interviewed by WKRC Cincinnati for his perspective on the threats to the DACA program (WKRC Cincinnati)

A group of Loyola Marymount University DACA students were interviewed by Carol Costello of HLN last fall: "Our lives are in Congress' hands" (HLN via Facebook)

In November 2017, a group of Loyola University Chicago medical students were featured on Chicago Tonight, where they discussed the challenges of pursuing a professional degree as undocumented students (Chicago Tonight)

Loyola University Maryland has created a resource page for undocumented students on its admissions website (loyola.edu); the University's student newspaper, the Greyhound, has also reported on initiatives led by Loyola's campus ministry and social justice offices to advocate for DACA students (thegreyhound.org)

The University of Scranton has created an advocacy resource page for the University community to learn more about the DACA program and the Dream Act (scranton.edu/advocacy). Loyola University Chicago has also created an advocacy page with calls to action and personal testimonies to the DACA program from undocumented students (luc.edu/diversity).

The University of San Francisco's president, Rev. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., spoke with KRON4 of San Francisco last fall, about the need to protect undocumented students (KRON4)

In January 2017, the president and vice president for academic affairs at the College of the Holy Cross issued a message to the campus community that reiterated the College's support for undocumented students (holycross.edu)

During AJCU's biannual Congressional Breakfast in October 2017, Georgetown University DACA student Luis Gonzalez shared his story with members of the U.S. Congress and presidents of the nation's Jesuit colleges and universities (ajcunet.edu)

The Ignatian Solidarity Network has collected stories about DACA from Jesuit colleges and universities for its blog series, Voices for Justice (ignatiansolidarity.net)

CLINIC (Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.) has created an infographic with the latest news on DACA for Dreamers (twitter.com/cliniclegal)

The Association sponsors over 30 conferences, or affinity groups, for faculty, staff and administrators at the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities. The conferences provide a forum for members to exchange ideas, information and best practices; support their professional development; and present opportunities to discuss Jesuit higher education.